BMW Z4

The Toyota Supra sports coupe is set to return and this time the confirmation comes through an unlikely party: NASCAR. Indeed, this week, Toyota announced that beginning with 2019’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), the Supra will replace the Camry, the latter fielded in races since 2007.

So, why does this signal that the Supra will, indeed, make its production return? For the simple reason that NASCAR models are based on production versions only — the models raced on Sunday attract customers to dealer showrooms on Monday.

Sure, the Camry and its competitors are nothing like the vehicles available for consumers, but the name is the same. Even the canvas is usually quite different, with painted on “headlights” and other embellishments included to at least suggest a correlation with the model you can find at your local dealer. After all, you cannot purchase a two-door Camry — at least one that isn’t new and one without the Solara appellation following the model name.

Daytona 500 NASCAR Race Debut

How close are we to seeing a new production-ready Supra? Very close, as the NASCAR variant will debut at Daytona Beach on February 16, 2019. That date marks the Daytona 500, the event that launches the new racing season. Thus, sometime between now and then, Toyota will make an official announcement.

In years past, that announcement would come at an auto show. For instance, the Los Angeles Auto Show held in November or early December or at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit beginning in mid-January.

But we don’t expect either show to debut the 2019 Toyota Supra. Instead, the automaker is likely to determine a time and place of its own choosing to introduce the new model.

A production-ready Supra will return, sharing design elements with this race car.

We see one of two possible scenarios unfolding:

1. Toyota will debut the Supra during a lull in the automotive news cycle.

But not in a dead period when people’s attention is elsewhere, namely when their feet are buried in the sand, as at their favorite beach. Instead, Toyota might tie the announcement to another event, such as the Monterey Car Week and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

This year’s event will take place August 18-26, which means Toyota could time its announcement for the Friday before, which would be August 17, 2018. Certainly, they could wait for the show to begin and roll out the new model at Pebble Beach on the main show day.

2. The automaker might choose an unexpected show to debut the Supra.

Another scenario is to simply debut the Supra at the Miami Auto Show, which this year will be held Oct. 5-13, 2018, at the newly renovated Miami Beach Convention Center. Last year’s show was canceled due to Hurricane Irma. This year’s show launches following a $620 million renovation of the convention center.

Although not a major show, some manufacturers have chosen the venue to launch a new product. Indeed, Miami is where Nissan rolled out the Rogue Hybrid in 2016. Although auto show debuts are decreasing in importance, there is something about introducing a new vehicle in South Florida in October that’s certain to draw attention.

Goodwood Festival of Speed

Of course, you may have heard that Toyota will showcase the 2019 Supra at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place from July 12-15. On July 5, Toyota Europe tweeted, “#ToyotaSupra is back. A90. At Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018 @fosgoodwood”

The A90 designation is the code for the all-new Supra, which was developed alongside an all-new BMW Z4. We have heard that the Supra will not receive a manual transmission, which is news that truly saddens the faithful. We understand the “take rate” for manuals is historically low, but if you are to be taken seriously in this business, you still have to offer one. Perhaps Toyota will follow Jaguar’s lead in this department as the British automaker introduced a six-speed manual for the F-Type’s second year.

Arriving Soon: 2019 Toyota Supra

We don’t know for certain whether Goodwind will debut the absolute final production-ready copy or if we’ll see a concept teaser without the camouflage. Regardless, the Supra is coming back and its return is a cause for mass celebration.

If I were a betting man (and I am not), the Goodwind reveal will show us nearly everything about the model inside and out, with the production details and pricing news timed to coincide with this year’s Pebble Beach.

If top-down fun is your thing, then the Nissan 370Z pegs the fun-o-meter. This model, available in coupe and roadster variations, simply gets it by delivering a handsome body, a sporty interior and a powertrain that will make you and everyone else take notice. The Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring edition was a recent weekly driver, an inviting two-seater that left me alone and wanting more.

The Z in Solid Red

It is never a good practice to assign a gender to an inanimate object such as a ship, a boat or to an airplane. And it is not too often these days that you will hear car owners calling their rides she although it is understood that many guys fall in love with their four-wheeled conveyances. Many women also adore their cars and I am talking about sports cars, not the family hauler.

The guest Z was dressed in a Solid Red finish, an entirely dangerous color for any media fleet vehicle. Its give me a ticket, officer red accentuates a robust body that has a bold face, sculptured lines, a black cloth roof and a curvaceous tail. If youre considering any of the European models (i.e., BMW Z4, Audi TT, Mercedes-Benz SLK), the Nissan 370Z comes in at the lowest price point although there are some trade offs in noise and refinement.

Yes, you can hear the air seeping in between the cloth roof and the windows, but that is only with the top up. Get a roadster, drop the top and off you go. Outside noise intrusion is part of the convertible experience regardless of the roofs position.

The Beast Within

The 370Zs signature is the beast under the hood. That beast is a 3.7-liter V-6 engine that growls when awakened and roars the moment you step on the gas pedal. It also supplies power for several Infiniti models including the Q50, but it is tuned to deliver slightly more horsepower (332-hp at 7,000 rpm) and makes 270 foot-pounds of torque.

Credit variable valve event and lift (VVEL) technology and a back pressure reducing exhaust system with increasing the roadsters high-end performance. The dual aluminum pipes deliver a rumble when idled and a roar when pegging its redline.

You can get the Z with a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed automatic. The engaged driver within was initially disappointed when he discovered the automatic was present, but soon found that placing the shifter in manual mode and clicking the paddle shifters erased much of that disappointment. Unlike some other clutchless shifters, the Zs seemed optimally synchronized to control engine revs.

Joystick thrills are attained by high-revving your way through the gears, nailing 60 mph within five seconds. Youll probably still be in 3rd gear when you reach your base speed indicator threshold with much higher speeds to quickly follow when permissible.

Nissan 370Z Highlights

Among the more interesting exterior characteristics of the roadster are its boomerang headlights and similarly styled tail lamps, what enhances this models menacing look. Vertical LED daytime running lights flank the outside edges of the front fascia, while the Z badges on the sides near the front wheel wells light up when you unlock the car. Aluminum alloy wheels encased within summer tires and red brake calipers provide much eye candy.

Inside, the Z wont drop your jaw, but it does provide an overall sporting look. Across the dash is much plastic of the hardened and styled variety with chrome and plush trim elsewhere. Behind the sport steering wheel are three analog dials with the tachometer sitting right where it belongs: in the middle. On the dash itself is a three-bay cluster for engine oil temperature, voltmeter and a digital clock. That driver-tilted layout hearkens to the original Datsun 240Z design.

The Touring edition comes equipped with leather-trimmed sport seats, offering good hip, back and thigh support with power and manual adjustments plus lumbar support. The passenger seat features four-way power adjustment. In-door storage with beverage holders, a center cup holder, an eight-speaker Bose audio system, climate control, a navigation system and a rear view camera are included.

Nissan Z Roadster Delivers Thrills

On the Road

Too many damp gray days limited my top down fun, but I did manage to squeeze in one 18-mile leg with the roof down and country roads beckoning. Hold the center console switch in place for about 20 seconds and the trunk opens up to receive the roof. Take off and you get a real feel for this machine and the lively tour that it provides. The steering is precise, handling is good, but with any convertible there is a loss of body rigidity that seems even more apparent with the sport tuning package.

As tested, the 2014 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring was priced at $51,365, pushing this model into BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi territory. Thats still $4,635 less than the Corvette Stingray Convertible, but well above pricing for the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible and the Ford Mustang Convertible, models that offer excellent straight line performance, a larger interior and roomier trunks.